Shein, Temu, AliExpress: the new French tax that will drive up prices from March 2026

From March 1, 2026, purchases made on platforms like Shein, Temu or AliExpress risk losing some of their price attractiveness. Indeed, as reported by Le Parisien, France is implementing a tax on "small parcels," targeting shipments valued at less than €150 from countries outside the European Union. Behind this measure, included in the 2026 budget law, the government intends to address the surge in imports of low-priced products, primarily shipped from Asia. But in reality, this new levy could impact cross-border e-commerce…

A €2 tax… per category of items

Contrary to some misconceptions, the tax does not apply to each parcel or each individual product, but to each category of items as defined by customs.

In concrete terms, a parcel containing three t-shirts will incur a €2 tax. However, if the same parcel includes t-shirts and toys, the tax rises to €4: €2 per category.

The measure targets shipments valued at less than €150. However, according to French customs data, the average value of an item imported via these platforms reached €6.40 in 2025, compared to €11.30 in 2022. More than half of the products even have a price below €3.40. The increase is spectacular, as from 175 million items imported in 2022, France has jumped to more than 826 million in 2025. This logistical flow represents several dozen cargo planes every day at French airports… A transitional measure before the European level This national tax of €2 is presented as a transitional measure. It must, at the latest by December 2026, give way to a harmonized European mechanism. But starting July 1, 2026, a new customs duty of €3 per category of goods, decided at the European Union level, will be added. The two measures will be cumulative, meaning that three imported t-shirts could be taxed at €5 starting this summer, and a basket of clothing and accessories could quickly reach €10 in additional levies. Legally, the distinction is significant, as the French tax takes the form of a fee, intended to cover the costs of customs management and control. The European system, however, falls under the category of standard customs duties applied to goods. In most cases, the consumer will not pay this tax directly, as it is levied on the seller or platform, but they may absorb the additional cost or pass it on, partially or fully, to the displayed prices.